Taking a strict note of delay in disbursal of salaries and violation of labour laws, the Mira Bhayandar Municipal Corporation (MBMC) terminated the contract of a private agency which was hired to supply manpower to the civic body.
The termination of contract order was issued by the deputy municipal commissioner (head-quarters) on Wednesday (29, January). Facing an acute shortage of manpower, the MBMC as a stop gap arrangement had appointed a Nashik-based manpower supply agency in December,2021 for outsourcing 49 junior engineers in various departments.
The contract was extended in 2023 and 2024. However, after receiving complaints regarding alleged violation of labour laws by delaying disbursal of salaries and non-compliance of the minimum wages act- which were some of the clauses inked in the agreement executed on 8, November-2021, the MBMC finally decided to act tough and terminated the contract with immediate effect.
Notably, the civic administration has claimed that despite the fact that their accounts and audit department had been releasing the concerned contractor’s payment on time, the salaries were delayed and trimmed which is in sharp contrast to the clauses. Moreover, the contractor allegedly failed to satisfactorily give replies to oral warnings and 11 official show causes notices issued by the MBMC for delays in salary disbursal between 2023 and 2025.
Notably, some of the contractual junior engineers hired by the agency who were attached to the anti-encroachment department were under the scanner for allegedly adopting a pick-and choose policy by indulging in corrupt practices to target certain establishments and sheltering or going soft on some illegal structures by taking cosmetic action, in exchange of huge bribes.
With the exit of the contractual workforce, the MBMC now plans to recruit engineers on its payroll as per the staffing pattern approved by the state government in 2019.
